PhD scholarship in “Macroeconomic Modelling and the Green Transition”, Department of Economics, University of Copenhagen (UCPH)

Applications are invited for a PhD scholarship at the Department of Economics. Enrollment will be at the Faculty of Social Sciences under the Copenhagen Graduate School of Social Sciences.

The starting date is 1 July 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The project

The green transition is a key challenge for both developing and developed countries. Experiences from Denmark and elsewhere show that green macroeconomic models can provide important guidance for policy makers navigating this transition. Yet, most national governments do not have access to high-quality green macroeconomic models, associated data, and analytical expertise. 

This project aims to develop and improve generic macroeconomic tools applicable to both developing and developed economies. In particular, the project has two key parts. The first is to build a dynamic computational general equilibrium model for Vietnam and showcase how it can be used in policy development. The second part aims towards general development of the computational general equilibrium framework to widen the types of policy questions that can be analyzed.

Your role

The PhD candidate will work with Peter Kjær Kruse-Andersen (Associate Professor, Department of Economics, University of Copenhagen), Rasmus Berg (Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, University of Copenhagen), Finn Tarp (Professor, Department of Economics, University of Copenhagen), and members of the DREAM (Danish Research Institute for Economic Analysis and Modelling) group. The PhD candidate will contribute to the development of the dynamic computational general equilibrium model for Vietnam and associated data, general developments of the computational general equilibrium framework, and macroeconomic analysis. Finally, the PhD candidate will develop a sub-project related to macroeconomic modelling and the green transition. This part must be described in the project description referred to below.

The PhD programme

The PhD programme provides PhD students with strong research training which opens a window of opportunity to a variety of careers within the private and public sectors. The programme includes the drafting of a PhD thesis, active participation in research networks, PhD courses, teaching, and other forms of knowledge dissemination. The PhD programme will be undertaken as a three-year full-time study within the framework of the 5+3 study programme.   

Duties and Responsibilities

Further information about the PhD study programme is available on the website of Copenhagen Graduate School of Social Sciences: PhD School in the Social Sciences – Faculty of Social Sciences - University of Copenhagen.

Under "Legal basis" on the website applicants will find information about the rules and guidelines for the PhD programme and the Danish Ministerial Order on the PhD programme at the Universities. 

Information about the PhD study programme is also available on the PhD website of the Department of Economics: Please see: https://www.economics.ku.dk/phd/.

Applicants should familiarize themselves with the research strategy and the ongoing research at the Department before submitting their application. This includes the work of the Environmental Economics Group (EG) and the Development Economics Reserch Group (DERG). Further information can be found here: https://www.economics.ku.dk/research/  

Qualification requirements

Applicants must have qualifications corresponding to a master’s level related to the subject area of the project, e.g. an MSc in Economics. If applicants have completed their education in Denmark, they must have a master’s degree covered by the collective agreement for academics in the state sector.

If applicants have completed their education outside of Denmark, they must either have a master’s degree equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (two years) or as minimum a bachelor’s degree equivalent to a Danish bachelor’s degree (three years) and be assessed as having professional qualifications at master's level.

If applicants have completed their education outside of Denmark, we will obtain an assessment of your education from the Danish Research Agency.

Applicants must have strong competencies in macroeconomics and environmental economics as well as prior experience with computational general equilibrium modelling. Furthermore, a keen interest in development economics and the green transition are pre-requisites.

Scholarship in the 5+3 study programme 

PhD students are paid a salary in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). The PhD student has a work obligation of up to 840 hours over the 3-year period without additional pay. The work obligation can include teaching, for instance. PhD students are generally expected to seek funding for fieldwork as this is not normally included in the scholarship. In the present case ear-marked funding for some fieldwork in Vietnam is available.

Please note assessment of applicants’ qualifications and eligibility for employment and enrolment will only take place after the application deadline.

How to apply

Please submit your application online. To apply, please click on the “Apply now” icon at the bottom of this page. Your application must be written in English, and include the following attachments (with descriptive titles) in either PDF or Word format:

• Cover letter (max. 1 page detailing your motivation and background for applying with the specific PhD project)
• CV
• The project description (referred to above) (max. 12,000 characters incl. spaces not incl. bibliography)
• Project abstract (max 1,200 characters incl. spaces)
• Diploma and transcripts of records (BSc and MSc). Please include the following documents: bachelor’s and master's degree - diplomas and transcripts, description of grading scale. Please note: If your degree diploma is not available by the application deadline, please include your latest transcript of grades.
• Time schedule 
• Budget (if relevant)
• Other information for consideration, e.g., list of publications, documentation of English language qualifications (if any).

Further details on the documents that should accompany your application are available on this website: Admission requirements and application procedures – University of Copenhagen.

Applicants holding a degree from a university where the working language is neither English nor a Scandinavian language must include translated versions of their diploma and transcripts, verified by the issuing university. The documents must be translated into English, Danish, Norwegian, or Swedish. In addition, an official description of the relevant grading scale (e.g. diploma supplement) must be included.

The recruitment process

Further information on the recruitment process at University of Copenhagen can be found here:  https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

The following criteria are used when shortlisting candidates for assessment: 

1. Research qualifications as reflected in the CV and the project description referred to above. 

2. Quality and feasibility of the project.  

3. Qualifications and knowledge in Economics, Environmental Economics, and Development Economics. 

4. Performance (grades obtained) in graduate and post-graduate studies. 

5. Department of Economics can offer adequate supervision for the research topic in question. 

Selected applicants are notified of the composition of the assessment committee, and each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.

As an applicant to the University of Copenhagen, you should be prepared to undergo a security screening related to international research collaboration as part of the recruitment process. The security screening will be conducted in cases where the University deems it appropriate based on an overall assessment. 

Enrolment
In order to be awarded a PhD scholarship, the applicant must enroll as a PhD student at the Faculty of Social Sciences, cf. the rules of the Danish Ministerial order No 1039 of 27 August 2013.  

An Equal Opportunity Workplace
The University of Copenhagen is committed in its pursuit of academic excellence to equality of opportunity and to creating an inclusive working environment and therefore encourages all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of personal background, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnicity etc. For more on the diverse working place environment at the University and the University’s participation in the HRS4R HR Excellence in Research, see https://employment.ku.dk/working-at-ucph/eu-charter-for-researchers/

International applicant?
The University of Copenhagen offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including support before and during your relocation and career counselling to expat partners. Please find more information about these services as well as information on entering and working in Denmark here: https://ism.ku.dk/

Contact information
We kindly encourage applicants to consult our website, where most questions regarding the recruitment process as well as the academic content and structure of the PhD programme are answered:
Structure of the PhD programme – University of Copenhagen

How to obtain a PhD scholarship – University of Copenhagen

Information about the recruitment process is available from HR South, e-mail: hr-soendre@adm.ku.dk. Please refer to ID number: 211-2367/26-2H.

Additional information about the position can be obtained from Associate Professor Peter Kjær Kruse-Andersen, e-mail: peter.k.kruse-andersen@econ.ku.dk, and Professor Finn Tarp, e-mail: finn.tarp@econ.ku.dk.

The closing date for applications is 18 February 2026 (CET).

Applications received after the deadline will not be taken into account.